Best way to power a pair of Bose 501 series IV

[mrbuttonmonkey]

Hi, I wasn't sure where to post this (first time poster long time reader of reviews) but I have a pair of Bose 501 series iv speakers which I have connected to the sub/amp of a logitech x-540 5.1 speaker set. (I just run the pair of bose from it nothing else)
Now I was wondering whether it would be better to purchase a sound card (what I have in mind is the asus xonar stx) or just purchase a used av receiver and power the speakers.
I used an old H/K AVR-45 receiver with the speakers quite a long time ago but it broke so I know the x-540 sub/amp isnt doing justice to the sound that can be produced from the speakers.
Any help would be great!

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forum!

That's resourceful of you to use that amp to power your speakers - great stuff. Sounds like you're not content with how it's performing, though. That's almost surely due to it being underpowered for you. The front left/right channels of the Logitech system are rated at 7.4 W into 4 Ohms. That equates to about 3.7 W for your 8-Ohm Bose speakers...which isn't much.

That said, a new sound card isn't going to do anything to fix that. Depending on your existing computer audio, that Asus might significantly improve the source material - but it's not going to help power those speakers better. A better amp is where I think you should start, so the option of a used receiver is a great choice. Heck, for less than the cost of that Asus card, you can get a solid stereo receiver such as the Onkyo TX-8255 ($150 at Amazon).

 

[mrbuttonmonkey]

Firstly, thanks for such a speedy reply. The Audioholic Slumlord designation is well deserved
Yea, I'm located in Canada so I'll give kijiji a whirl and see what comes up thanks for the help!

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Firstly, thanks for such a speedy reply. The Audioholic Slumlord designation is well deserved
Yea, I'm located in Canada so I'll give kijiji a whirl and see what comes up thanks for the help!

or Craigslist... if you live in or near big city....
http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/ca

Vintage receivers (if in good working condition) would do good job if stereo is all you care about. Make sure to test it before showing [strike]green bucks[/strike] papers with image of queen ?

 

[mrbuttonmonkey]

Thanks for the tip!
I think I've found one that may suit my needs and more
toronto.kijiji. ca/c-buy-and-sell-electronics-Yamaha-HTR-4063-5-1-Channel-AV-Receiver-W0QQAdIdZ306828404
(My post count is too low to post a link but i think you get the idea haha)
A Yamaha HTR 4063 for $160
What got me was the hdmi ports which would be nice to connect my ps3 and blu-ray player to ofc. the main reason I'm getting the receiver is for the speakers but those additions make it seem more interesting of a buy.

EDIT: I've come across another receiver Yamaha Amplifier Audio/video tuner (HTR-5650) it lacks the hdmi ports but the seller is much closer to home and the price is $10 less (which really doesnt matter)

Is there anything else I should consider between the two? I don't mind giving up the hdmi for the convenience of a 5 or so minute drive compared to the 30+ minute trek but if theres something else I may be ignorant of between the two I would take the drive down to get it.

 

[Brad Rodgers]

Best way to power a pair of Bose 501 speakers.

I had a pair of Bose 501 speakers as a teenager. They were fantastic but they were 4 ohms. And at that time most amps and receivers were 8 ohms. What I did was, I fused the speaker wire, and I used an AKAI Quadraphonic Receiver to power the speakers. These speakers lasted for 10 years through my teenage years not to mention the 5 years prior that the original owner had them. I traded them to a friend and he bought a new woofer, ( Drunken friend crashed into one speaker putting a hole in the woofer) and they still sound good after over 30 years.

 

[gmichael]

How about something like The Dayton Audio DTA-100?
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?PartNumber=300-383

 

[cbnat]

ignore this

 

[cbnat]

ignore these posts

 

[cbnat]

ignore these . posts

 

[cbnat]

please ignore this

 

[cbnat]

last one moving on

 

[j_garcia]

last one moving on

There is already a thread for that sort of crap

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/site-suggestions-feedback/49318-post-pad-thread-new-users-not-spammers-18.html#post902140